Harnessing Ireland’s offshore wind and wave energy is vital to help the country to slash its carbon emissions by 2020, a new parliamentary committee has said. The Dail’s Committee on Climate Change, which was established a year ago, {pagebreak} said Irish people now produce the fifth highest levels of greenhouse gas in the world in… Read more »
EPIA organises its first international Thin Film Conference More than 300 experts from the thin film sector are expected to gather in Munich on November 13 for the first European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA) International Thin Film Conference. {pagebreak} With a growing demand for PV products in the European and American markets, all technological solutions… Read more »
The Danish based sub-supplier to the wind turbine industry, Avanti Wind Systems, opens office in India. It will be operated by general manager for Avanti Wind Systems India, Mr. Lars Rasmussen and based at the Trade Commission of Denmark in Bangalore {pagebreak} At the beginning of 2009, Avanti Wind Systems expands operations to Chennai, where… Read more »
Excessive bureaucracy and long waits to connect plants to the grid is slowing down the potential for enormous growth in Italy’s solar energy market. Although the country is a solar power hot spot, with 17,000 plants tapping its plentiful sunlight, approval for such plants can drag very slowly, taking months of painstaking decision-making. {pagebreak} “The… Read more »
A warning not to undermine EU support for renewables has been sounded by a wind energy trade body in a letter to a French minister. The European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) has expressed its concern about a proposed ‘review clause’ {pagebreak} in the Renewable Energy Directive, and underlined the importance of priority grid access for… Read more »
Euro MPs have dealt a blow to plans for a new generation of coal-fired power stations after voting for tough curbs to reduce their emissions. The MEPs want to force energy companies to fit expensive equipment to trap the emissions, the limit of which is the same as that set by California – 500 grams… Read more »
Fears that wildlife, particularly birds, is affected by wind farms have been allayed in a new study which shows that turbines have little impact on them. “This should be welcome news for nature conservationists, wind energy companies and policy-makers”, {pagebreak} the report from the UK’s Newcastle University said, adding that carbon-free wind power is also… Read more »
An end to the use of fossil fuels needs to happen in the UK within 20 years, the government’s climate change watchdog has warned. The independent Climate Change Committee also says the government should set a 2050 target of cutting all greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80 per cent – including those from aviation… Read more »
Almost all businesses in the UK are unaware of an incentive scheme to help improve energy efficiency, according to new industry research. The survey involving 1,300 businesses across offices, retail and leisure, conducted by Daikin UK, revealed that 92 per cent companies are currently unaware of the Government’s Enhanced Capital Allowance (ECA) scheme set up… Read more »
A senior Chinese climate change advisor has broken ranks to criticise his country’s stance on global warming as its economy develops. Hu Angang, a public policy professor at Tsinghua University in Beijing, has urged China to act on cutting greenhouse gas emissions, even as the government says it should not assume international obligations to curb… Read more »
A government survey of energy trends in the UK has revealed that Scotland generates twice as much wind energy as England. The quarterly survey, published by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform throws up a number of interesting statistics in relation to renewables in the UK. {pagebreak} And while Scotland has greater renewables… Read more »
Spain’s leading renewable energy firms have visited California this week to help meet the State’s surging demand for renewable energy. Spanish companies have committed more than US$5 billion to the US market this year alone, and delegates have met with major utilities, economic development officials, legislators, regulators, private firms and the Governor regarding further investment… Read more »
Shares in a Scottish wind farm have exceeded market expectations, raising more than £1.25 million of investment. The Great Glen Wind Farm Co-op share offer closed recently, and delighted investors by surpassing its target by more than five times. The scheme is being run by Energy4All, a not-for-profit company set up to spearhead community-owned renewable… Read more »
Search engine leader Google has outlined a plan for the United States to cut its reliance on fossil fuels by 2030. The California-based company has called for a big push in wind, solar and geothermal power to largely replace fossil fuels. Hybrid and electric cars would also get a major boost. {pagebreak} Eric Schmidt, Google’s… Read more »
The World Bank Group’s funding for renewable energy and energy efficiency programmes has increased by a massive 87% in the last year, it has recently been revealed. A statement by the Bank said $2.7b was used to fund renewable energy and energy efficiency commitments for the year ending 30 June 2008. {pagebreak} The funding includes… Read more »
Senior bankers have warned the renewable energy sector of a €21 billion shortfall in debt finance by 2020 following the credit crisis and a brake on lending. European wind and solar power projects drew 18 billion euros investment in 2007 and needed about 85 billion euros annually by 2020 to meet EU targets, said Tanja… Read more »
Phoenix Solar AG Introduces SolyndraTM Solar Panels to the European Market • The new shape of solar electricity• Innovative thin-film module for flat rooftops {pagebreak} Sulzemoos 07/10/2008 / One of the solar industry’s best kept secrets has been unveiled. Photovoltaic solar system manufacturer Solyndra, Inc., headquartered in Fremont, California U.S.A., today announced its unique CIGS-based… Read more »
Only central government commitment to renewable energy adoption will prevent a UK-wide energy crisis, a top managements consultant has said. David Hughes, utilities practice director at ABeam Consulting, said the skyrocketing price of oil means it is ‘not feasible’ to rely on fossil fuels in the long term. {pagebreak} “Global warming makes matters worse, pushing… Read more »
Photovoltaic energy could provide 12% of European electricity demand by 2020, a conference has heard. More than 4,000 scientists and 750 companies gathered in Valencia recently to present significant innovations in the field of solar photovoltaic energy to EPIA, the European Photovoltaic Industry Association. {pagebreak} The industry unanimously agreed that the evolution of solar photovoltaic… Read more »
Despite calls for more investment in renewables and clean energy, UK business minister John Hutton has pledged ‘maximum support’ for new nuclear power stations in the UK. At the first meeting of the Government’s new Nuclear Development Forum Mr Hutton said that energy from new nuclear generators is indispensable for keeping the UK’s lights on,… Read more »
The European wind power industry could replace the automotive sector as the biggest user of steel by 2020, a Green MEP has claimed. Luxemburg MEP Claude Turmes, who helped a report calling for massive investment in renewables reach almost unanimous backing by the industry committee of the European Parliament, said the legislation would lead to… Read more »
Finland is the latest country to approve the development for wind farm parks in key catchment areas close to coastlines and the sea. The Finnish Government has agreed to build a number of wind power plants over the next ten years with the aim of generating about 2000 megawatts of wind power by 2020. In… Read more »
New Foundation Bolt Tensioning Tools Added to Tentec Aero Range Tentec, a leading UK designer and manufacturer of bolt tightening equipment has been working closely with major manufacturers and suppliers of wind turbines looking at the problems associated with anchoring bolts into the foundation structure. {pagebreak} Due to the unusual length of foundation bolts and… Read more »
A plan by the British government to buy its way out of half its CO2 reduction targets weakens efforts to reverse climate change, a top scientist has claimed. Dr Keith Allott, head of the WWF-UK’s climate change programme, said a leaked report which suggested EU nations should be allowed to trade away 50 per cent… Read more »
Trina Solar Limited (NYSE: TSL; ”Trina Solar” or the ”Company”), a leading integrated manufacturer of solar photovoltaic (PV) products from the production of ingots, wafers and cells to the assembly of PV modules, founded in 1997, today announced the inauguration of a 26 MW PV plant, consisting of an installation which uses primarily PV modules… Read more »
Trina Solar Limited, a leading integrated manufacturer of solar photovoltaic products from the production of ingots, wafers and cells to the assembly of PV modules, founded in 1997, announced today that shipments began this month to provide more than 13,400 solar PV modules to power the Atlantic City Convention Center (“ACCC”) in New Jersey, United… Read more »
A plan to create a government office to give a leg-up to the UK’s renewables industry has been welcomed by the British Wind Energy Association (BWEA). Secretary of State John Hutton has announced a proposed Office for Renewable Energy Deployment. The office, which should be up and running in the spring of 2009, pending the… Read more »
The EU has chosen a more efficient, sustainable and affordable future through its policies to use renewable energy and fight climate change, says a new report. The International Energy Agency says the EU is a world leader in beginning to mitigate the effects of global warming through ambitious proposals on climate change and energy policies…. Read more »
A slice of California’s rich cinematic history will soon be undergoing the solar treatment, the first cinema of its kind in the United States to do so. The Fairfax 5 Theatres complex in the town of Fairfax will install a PV system, resulting in savings of more than $600,000 over its 30-year life span. The… Read more »
Renewable energy consumers in Germany are celebrating after the government said it would scale back the feed-in tariff by only 9-10 per cent each year until 2011. The news is a huge boost for renewables in Germany, as it was expected that a 30 per cent scale back would be implemented. {pagebreak} In 1999, the… Read more »
The need to recruit people with the right skills is causing worries in the renewables sector as demand for good employees far outstrips supply. With the cost of energy rising rapidly, the need for alternative supplies and people with relevant skills to produce it is producing challenges says Stuart Brown, Practice Head of Energy and… Read more »
Pioneering UK green electricity firm Ecotricity has been highly commended in a national awards ceremony that honours green business. The company, which introduced green electricity as a consumer choice for the first time when it was launched in 1995 was praised for its efforts at the 2008 Barclays Commercial Bank Green Leaders in Business Awards…. Read more »
While the debate over offshore oil drilling in the United States rages, the federal government is looking to lease large swathes of its continental shelf to wind turbine operators. Competition is hotting up to develop wind projects on the shelf, which is currently covered by an oil-drilling ban that has become a contentious issue in… Read more »
Technology launched to cut unnecessary power generation Dynamic demand for electricity is a step closer with the launch of innovative new technology from energy company RLtec. Dynamic demand is a way of managing electricity consumption that delivers significant cost and carbon savings, and is increasingly recognised as a key technology for reducing carbon dioxide emissions…. Read more »
Entries sought for 2009 awards European and global companies in the renewable energy sector are being asked for submissions to the second annual Rosenblatt New Energy Awards. The Awards are being staged at London’s Natural History Museum on Wednesday 25th February 2009 to recognise the achievements of management teams, companies and projects that have made… Read more »
Radical solutions call to reverse carbon levels A call for governments to adopt a ‘global energy technology revolution’ has been made in a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA).The report, entitled ‘Energy Technology Perspectives 2008′ indicates that if countries continue with their existing policies, global carbon emissions will rise by 130 per cent while… Read more »